


An old fairy tale told me

by Beleriandings



Category: The Silmarillion and other histories of Middle-Earth - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-11-14
Updated: 2014-11-14
Packaged: 2018-02-25 09:58:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 544
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2617688
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Beleriandings/pseuds/Beleriandings
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ecthelion tells young Eärendil a story.</p>
            </blockquote>





	An old fairy tale told me

"Uncle?"

Ecthelion smiled at that, lifting the sleepy child onto his lap. “Yes, little one?”

"Tell me a story!"

He stroked Eärendil’s golden hair. “What kind of story would you like to hear?”

"An old one. An exciting one. One my mother and father haven’t told me!"

"Hmm" said Ecthelion, thinking. "Have you heard the one about the day before days, when the elves awoke?"

"Tell me!"

"Long ago, when the world was young, when there was no moon or sun, only the stars to light the dark world" said Ecthelion. "The elves woke, by a lake, far to the east. No one knows quite where, but the lake was beautiful it is said, and surrounded by dark, quiet forests full of night-time animals and flowers that could bloom even when there was no light. For a while the elves - my ancestors, and yours, little one, were happy there, wild though their lives were."

Eärendil’s small face was already rapt with attention. “What happened?”

"There came… whispers. Dark things in the forest. Monsters, who took children away when they strayed too far from the village."

Eärendil scoffed. “My mother says that such stories are only meant to scare children into being bad. There’s no real monsters.”

"Not here" said Ecthelion. "Not now. But there were monsters, and they really did eat bad children, yes, and good ones. And adults too."

Eärendil’s eyes were wide, and for a moment Ecthelion wondered if he were frightening him too much, before realising he was drinking in every word of it. He continued. 

"There was a bright hunter too, who stood against the monsters. He lived in the west, where there were no such dark things, and there was more light than any of the elves had ever dreamed there could be in the world. He took three of them, to show them that bright light, and it lived ever in their hearts afterwards, yes, all three."

"I know this story" Eärendil interrupted, imperious as only a child can be. "The three were Ingwë, Finwë, and Elwë. They saw the light and came back to tell their people to go west. Only Elwë never made it back into the light. He stayed behind in the dark forest with his beautiful Maia wife, who made it safe."

Ecthelion laughed. “My, my, you are a well-informed young man. It seems I’ve got nothing left of the story to tell you.”

"Aawww." Eärendil looked momentarily dejected, before peering up at Ecthelion. "I think Elwë’s decision was stupid" he proclaimed. "He should have gone with his people, rather than stay for himself and his wife. The Valar chose him, and he shouldn’t have stopped. He should have carried on."

Ecthelion raised an eyebrow. “You think so?”

"Yes. It doesn’t matter that he wanted to get married. He was supposed to go and save his people, not leave his little brother to do it!"

 _This one has a strong sense of duty_ , thought Ecthelion. “Perhaps when you’re older” he said, “and you get married and have children yourself, you may come to understand why he did it.”

"No I won’t" said Eärendil confidently. "Besides, it wasn’t his choice to make." He yawned. "That was a boring story. Can I have another one, uncle?"


End file.
